316 Rom. TV. Provetti not the imputation of Faith. CH A P. Zoo but of debt; but to him , that worketh not but beleeveth on him , that jafli f=eti, tht ungodly, bis faith it counted for Righteoufnefe. Now if Faith , properly taken , be imputed the reckoning shall be of juft debt : for to reckon a man righteous , who is righteous antecedent to that ad of accounting , is no ad of grace , but of jult debt : but Faith's being accounted for Righte- oufnefs is an adtof grace , and therefore it muff be the Objedt of Faith, or .he Righteoufnefs, that Faith lai th hold on , that is here faid to be counted upon the Beleevers fcore ; and this indeed is no a& of juft debt , but of grace. 7. Againe , as was faid above, if Faith properly taken , or the ad of Beleeving be imputed for Righteoufnefs , God should not be the juftifier of the ungodly ; nor could Faith at upon God , as fuch , with truth. And yet the Apottle tels us here expreflv , that Faith adleth upon God , as one that iuftifierh the ungodly. He who path a Righteoufnefs in himfelf is no ungod- ly man ; and God juftifying a righteous man; could not be Paid to jutlifi.e the ungodly. But if we take faith here , for the objedtof faith, or for the Righteoufnefs of Chriff , which faith fleeth unto and lay th hold on , all is clear & harmonious ; for then that man is not a worker,. but beleeveth , & he beleeveth on God , that juftifieth the ungodly , that is one , that hath no Righteoufnefs in himfelf, but muff have it elfewhere, even imputed to him , and bellowed upon him , through Faith ; & when he thus heleeveth layelh hold on Chrift's Righteoufnefs , this Righteoufnefs , which by faith he leaneth to , is counted on his fcore for Righteoufnefs, & he is there- upon Juftified. 8.. Leaving what was formerly adduced againff this glofe from verf. 6, 7. I. of this Chapter Chap. XVIII. we shall fee what other paffages in this cha- pter will fay againft it. The Faith that was reckoned to Abraham for Righ- teoufnefs , when he was in uncircumcifon , verf. 9, io. is the fame with the Righteoufnefs of faith, which he had, being uncircumcifedverf.. it. But this ' Righteoufnefs of faith is not his at of Beleeving, nor Faith taken properly, as an adtof Obedience ; but the Righteoufnefs of the prornifed feed of the woman, in whom all Nations of the earth should be blefï'ed, embraced by faith : for it is this , and not the meer at of beleeving , that was fealed by the ligne of Circumcifion verf. i i. for this Sacrament was a feal of the Co- venant ; & we know , Sacraments Peal the whole Covenant, & all the pro. mifes thereof, to fuch as beleeve; & never feal our Faith , or the like, to be our Righteoufnefs. 9. The fame , that was imputed to Abraham for Righteoufnefs wilhbe imputed to all beleevers verf. i i. But that is not the pure at of Beleeving i for Abrahamt a& of Beleeving was aftrot gadt, and is declared and explai- ned tobefuch., but every beleever , who yet muff be juftified, hath not fuch aftrongadtof faith , as Abraham had: And we cannot fay, that forne are Jef- fe,&îornearemore juffified, becaufe the faith of force isweak, and the fairer of others is ftrong : and yet this mull be faid , if the ad of Beleeving be- imputed fora Righteoufnefs, for the Righteoufnefs of one shall be gre'ter. than the Righteoufnefs of another: & their Juftification mule hold correfpon dence with the ground thereof. w. That
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